Romans 3:1-20

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<div> <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Youth Ministries"><U>Youth Ministries</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Romans 3:1-20</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="0a7bc4b0.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I><B>The Quest for Significance: The Quest for the Advantage</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Romans 3:1-20</B></I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>How can you gain an advantage in life?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Grasp the </B><B><U>______________</U></B><B> of God's Word 3:1-2</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Trust the </B><B><U>_____________</U></B><B> of God 3:3-8</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Accept that man </B><B><U>__</U></B><B>  </B><B><U>_______</U></B><B> has no advantage 3:9-18</B></div> <bR> <div> God is judge 3:10-12</div> <bR> <div> God is a physician 3:13-15</div> <bR> <div> God is an historian 3:16-18</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Be accountable to the </B><B><U>___________</U></B><B> of God 3:19-20</B></div> <bR> <div> What does that look like?</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>The advantage in life is accountability</B></I></div> <div> <I><B> to the Justice of God.</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>The Justice of God  </B></div> <div> (<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Condensed</FONT> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >from my Master's Thesis. All citations are removed</FONT>)</div> <bR> <div> The Justice of God manifests God's righteousness.  The word for “justice” in the Hebrew is <I>mishpat,</I> which means “justice,” “ordinance,” or “custom.”  It's verbal form emphasizes the process of government in judging or governing.  The noun can be used to designate almost any aspect of civil or religious government.  </div> <div>      All judgment ultimately belongs to God (Deut. 1:17).  He has the right to demand perfection as the author of the universe (Job 4:17; Is. 45:21).  The Justice of God is His requirement that other moral agents adhere to God's standards.  He requires perfection, and it is that attribute whereby God dispenses what is due to those who keep His mandates and those who do not (Dt. 7:9-10).  Deuteronomy 32:4 characterizes His justice as “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”</div> <div>      The execution of the Justice of God is defined under God's right as judge and God's distribution of justice.   God's right is as ruler over both good and evil relating to the imposition of law and its impartial execution.  God's distribution is God's right in the execution of law relating to the distribution of rewards and punishment.  God's right is seen in Ps. 97:2b, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.”  All of God's laws are holy, just, and good in accordance with His character.  He is impartial and uniform in the execution of His works, neither condemning the innocent, nor clearing the guilty.  Deuteronomy 10:17 illustrates God's impartial justice, “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.</div> <div>      God's distribution of justice is man's point of contact with God in Remunerative Justice and Retributive Justice.  Remunerative Justice distributes rewards and blessing (Dt. 7:9,12,13).  It is the expression of divine grace or loyal-love.  However, God is not obligated to recompense for obedience by a creature whom God has made from nothing and holds in existence.  The computer technician has the right to expect the computer to perform exactly as it is programmed without mutual obligation.  And God as the ultimate technician even made the materials from which man was formed, besides giving him a system in which to operate.  So God has much more a right to require the creature to continue in holiness.  God can promise to reward man for growth and service, but He is under no obligation whatsoever.</div> <div>      Retributive Justice is that part of God's distribution of justice which renders penalty for falling short of God's perfect righteousness.  Retributive Justice is expressed in the mandates of the law with a penalty secured to it.  Deuteronomy 27:26 illustrates this, “Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.”  This is the promise of divine action for failure to meet divine requirement.  Justice is what needs to be done in a given situation if people and circumstances are to be restored to conformity with righteousness.  Retributive justice is also expressed in the actual infliction of the penalty threatened as when Israel defeated Ai for their transgression of God's covenant command (Josh. 7:11)  The former promise (or threat) is worthless without the latter infliction.</div> <div>      The Justice of God demands repayment for transgression of the law; however, no obligation of reward is required for obedience to God's mandates.  Retributive justice demands punishment, for “He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished (Ex. 34:7b).”  Therefore, for every infraction of the law of God, a penalty must be executed.  Justice guards God's righteousness by ensuring the righteous character of God is not attacked and that every divine action is performed in a righteous manner (Dt. 10:17).  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id141.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 3:2131"><U><B>Next Page</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B><IMG SRC="0c740400.gif" border=0 width="64" height="64" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>